Gas from the Past: Biogas 101
Most people who follow renewable energy have heard of biogas by now, yet the origins and uses of biogas remain mysterious to many.
Transportation
South Pacific islanders revive sail power with traditional fleet on tour
“We are a group of Pacific Islanders who have come together from many nations, sailing as one across the Pacific Ocean. We are voyaging to strengthen our ties with the sea, renew our commitment to healthy ecosystems for future generations, and to honour our ancestors who have sailed before us.”
Transport & urban design – Aug 16
-The shareable future of cities (video)
-Riding Bogota’s Bountiful Protected Bikeways (video)
-Solar power for trains dawns in rainy Belgium
-What’s an Ecocity and Why Should We Care?
ODAC Newsletter – Aug 5
An eleventh hour political deal on the US debt crisis this week turned out to be just a stepping stone in the ongoing economic and fiscal crisis. By Thursday markets were plunging again on fears that Italy or Spain may default, and on the growing anticipation that the US may be returning to recession after Q1 GDP growth numbers were revised down from 1.9% to 0.4%.
Biofuels – 20 July
-Biofuel demand in US driving higher food prices, says report
-EU powers ahead with ‘sustainable’ biofuel certification schemes
-Lufthansa begins flights with biofuels
-US Air Force: We want to use biofuels
On biking, why can’t the U.S. learn lessons from Europe?
Building bike paths alone will not get people out of their cars in the U.S. and onto bicycles. To create a thriving bike culture in America’s cities, people must begin to view bicycling as Europeans do — not just as a way of exercising, but as a serious form of urban mass transportation.
On biking, why can’t the U.S. learn lessons from Europe?
Building bike paths alone will not get people out of their cars in the U.S. and onto bicycles. To create a thriving bike culture in America’s cities, people must begin to view bicycling as Europeans do — not just as a way of exercising, but as a serious form of urban mass transportation.
Why cycling is more patriotic than flag waving
On the 4th of July my wife Julie and I were biking through downtown Minneapolis to see fireworks at the Mississippi River when someone shouted at us: “Take your clothes off.” We weren’t sure whether to be offended or flattered, until realizing we had pedaled into the midst of a naked bicycle ride.
Kill the car
People living in cul-de-sacs, with no walkable stores or supplies in reach, abandoned to falling property values, after the real estate bubble broke – they will be confused, unprepared, and angry. Why do politicians keep promising more roads, as the oil runs out? Why do people get so angry when we tell them the age of the car is just about over? Answers in this fine speech by Yves Engler, author of “Stop Signs,” a recent book on cars and capitalism.
NY Times: In Europe they “make car use expensive and just plain miserable”
An article published in the New York Times Science/Environment section Sunday points out something that many U.S. bike insiders and advocates have known for a long time: The reason European cities (and in the case of the article, Zurich) succeed in transportation policy and outcomes is because they’re not afraid to challenge car dominance head on.
Why don’t we do it in the road?
I am perplexed by the almost complete lack of pedestrian streets in North America. Why is it that car-free commons—designed for pleasurable strolling, shopping and hanging out—which have become as typical as stoplights or McDonalds in European city centers, are almost non-existent here?
Deep thought – June 27
-Back to the Future
-Behaviour change, not technology, is key to cutting vehicle emissions
-The great land grab: India’s war on farmers